FIFA slaps transfer ban on Real & Atletico Madrid

Zurich, Jan 14 (IANS) FIFA on Thursday issued two transfer-period bans each on Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of footballers under the age of 18.

“Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”),” FIFA said in a statement.

“The transfer ban which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole — with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams — and does not prevent the release of players.”

Additionally, Atletico and Real have been fined 900,000 Swiss francs ($895,000) and 360,000 Swiss francs ($358,000) respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

“The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by FIFA Transfer Matching System GmbH (FIFA TMS) and subsequently by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings,” FIFA clarified.

“The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).”